A 22-year-old Kent man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend in Federal Way last Friday night.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Monday charged Erik Guzman-Naranjo with first-degree murder.
Evelyn Zaragoza, 22, died of a gunshot wound to the head after being shot in the parking lot of a smoke shop in the 32900 block of First Avenue South.
Guzman-Naranjo was arrested in Lake Oswego, Ore., and is awaiting extradition on a $2 million bond.
According to charging documents, Guzman-Naranjo had a history of physically assaulting Zaragoza. Zaragoza’s friend told investigators Zaragoza and Guzman-Naranjo had dated on and off since 2013.
“Naranjo would be physically abusive and leave marks on her,” the documents state. “In the past (Zaragoza’s friend) had observed marks on her.”
Zaragoza reportedly told other people she feared Guzman-Naranjo was following her and asked her male friend to go with her the night of the shooting, Federal Way Police Department spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said.
“The day before the murder, (Guzman-Naranjo) shot at her while she drove on a public street (in Kent) causing bullet damage to the car she was riding in,” according to charging papers. “Then on Nov. 24, 2017, (Guzman-Naranjo) found her in a parking lot and blocked the car she was driving so she could not escape. As he quickly approached the driver’s side where she was sitting, he racked his firearm.
“He tried to open her door, which she had locked when she saw him coming. When he could not open it, he bashed in the window with the butt of the firearm and executed her by shooting her in the left temple. He then fled the parking lot, and ultimately the jurisdiction.”
Zaragoza was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she died from her injuries.
Police in Lake Oswego stopped Guzman-Naranjo for failing to signal early Sunday.
“He provided a false name to police but told them he was heading to California to meet a relative who would be driving him on to Mexico,” court documents state.
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